This early work by Richard Austin Freeman was originally published in
the early 20th century and we are now republishing it with a brand new
introduction. 'Social Decay and Regeneration' is a non-fiction work on
the subject of society. The first story featuring his well-known
protagonist Dr. Thorndyke - a medico-legal forensic investigator - was
published in 1907, and although Freeman's early works were seen as
simple homages to his contemporary, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, he quickly
developed his own style: The 'inverted detective story', in which the
identity of the criminal is shown from the beginning, and the story then
describes the detective's attempt to solve the mystery.